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I have until tomorrow evening to finalize and my last decision is about color. I will choose between drop dead beautiful Pearl (which may be hard to/and expensive to match - particularly on the bumpers which are bound to get scratched often in an urban environment) and the Standard white.

I have until tomorrow evening to finalize and my last decision is about color. I will choose between drop dead beautiful Pearl (which may be hard to/and expensive to match - particularly on the bumpers which are bound to get scratched often in an urban environment) and the Standard white.

How often do you do paint touch-ups on other cars you've owned? Is it really something you have to worry about often?

We went with the Pearl White and absolutely adore it. It's the closest thing to a bright, vibrant color in the original production palette, and it positively sparkles in the sun (how much sun you get may be another deciding factor.) There's no wrong choice, of course. No matter what direction you lean you'll be driving a Model S!

Thanks to all of you who have been answering. dsm363- TM claims that the paint will be available, as a three layer process, which will make touch up difficult to match without doing large areas.

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Makes sense. Hard to go wrong with the Model S. Looks great in any color. Guess it comes down to if you like the pearl white better than the possible troubles touch up will cause. Maybe get pearl white and extensive pain armor? I had the entire hood done and the rest is the factory install.

I have until tomorrow evening to finalize and my last decision is about color. I will choose between drop dead beautiful Pearl (which may be hard to/and expensive to match - particularly on the bumpers which are bound to get scratched often in an urban environment) and the Standard white.

Other than the obvious, does anyone have any thoughts or advice?

(Such a first world problem)

Thanks

Howard

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If you view the color samples at a Tesla store, and look closely, you will notice an important difference between white and pearl white. Pearl white makes the curves in the sheet metal more visible. When viewing the concave surface of the color sample on the wall, this difference is fairly obvious. On the car itself, pearl white gives the sides of the car a more sculpted 3-D look than plain white does. This pearl paint is a very fine metallic, almost looking as if it's a blend of silver and white. Very pretty.

As for paint repairs, any body shop that regularly works on Audi and Mercedes-Benz cars should have no problem with the pearl paint.

I saw the standard white in person while I test drove the S in DC and love it. It was a easy decision for me. Do I want to look further on the Pearl White with additional $1500 charge? I don't think so.

I saw the standard white in person while I test drove the S in DC and love it. It was a easy decision for me. Do I want to look further on the Pearl White with additional $1500 charge? I don't think so.

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Don't look! I wish I had never seen the Pearl or I would not have had to start this discussion. Interesting point that I read on a paint blog is that some think that metalic finishes hide imperfections/minor damages better than plain finishes. More confuusion and 16 hours to press the button. Thanks again to all!

Tedd, interesting. The Tesla sales peopke told me just the opposite, saying the white makes the curves stand out more. Wish I could see both colors on the car side by side.

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Sometimes, but not often, you can see the difference in photos. Both whites tend to get washed out in digital images, as is the case in Tesla's "10-Colors" sampler on their web site: Photos Videos | Tesla Motors The pearl effect shown in the Design Studio, while helpful, is probably a photoshop manipulation. But if you see a pearl Model S in person, especially under the Tesla Store lighting, it is quite stunning.

After I get my car, I'm planning to have it photographed in a large commercial photo studio, with the goal of getting the pearl paint to really pop. I'll post those photos sometime in the spring.

The pearl causes shading around some of the edges. I think the white looks smoother and more uniform. Someone posted pics a long time ago here to show it and conceived me of white. The pearl coat is nice and elegant though.

Meta

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